Boeing shares fall sharply after second deadly 737 MAX 8 crash

Shares of Boeing sank as some airlines grounded the planemaker's best selling 737 MAX 8 passenger jet following the second deadly crash involving the plane.

Boeing said the investigation into the Ethiopian Airlines crash is in its early stages and there is no need to issue new guidance to operators of its 737 MAX 8 aircraft based on the information it has so far.

A Nairobi-bound Boeing 737 MAX 8 operated by Ethiopian Airlines crashed minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa on Sunday, killing all 157 on board. The same model flown by Lion Air crashed off the coast of Indonesia in October, killing all 189 on board.

PAUL J. RICHARDS | AFP | Getty Images

The Boeing logo and name are seen on a building at Boeing's new facilities April 27, 2012, in North Charlston, South Carolina.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China ordered Chinese airlines to ground all Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes after the crash. The CAA said it would contact the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing regarding the resumption of operations once they are assured that measures have been taken to ensure safety.

Ethiopian Airlines said it had grounded its 737 MAX 8 fleet until further notice as an "extra safety precaution" even though it did not know the cause of Sunday's crash.

The 737 MAX 8 uses LEAP-1B engines made by CFM International, a joint venture of General Electric and Safran. Shares in Safran also fell 1.6 percent on Monday.

Boeing said on Monday the investigation into the Ethiopian Airlines crash is in its early stages and there is no need to issue new guidance to operators of its 737 MAX 8 aircraft based on the information it has so far.